Regarding New Jersey, which has already regulated online gaming, we are in the process of seeking our transactional waiver for our B2C business in that state. That process is ongoing. We cannot comment on that until its conclusion.

That makes Baazov’s willingness to assign a firm target date to New Jersey launch a meaningful development.

Background of PokerStars’ attempts to enter NJ

Should Baazov’s target date prove accurate, it would mark the end of a saga spanning nearly three full years:

PokerStars originally attempted to enter New Jersey by purchasingAtlantic City casino The Atlantic Club in December 2012.

What impact will PokerStars have on NJ online poker?

There’s little doubt that the entry of PokerStars and Full Tilt will provide a boost to the market. But the structural issues present in the market – most notably payment processing and a population that is likely capable of supporting only a single, healthy online network – will remain.

And even a significant boost relative to the market’s current performance (think 50%) would still serve to put the NJ online poker market back around the point where it peaked in early 2014.

Company also entering daily fantasy sports market

The New Jersey announcement was one of several big pieces of news from today’s call. Amaya also announced that PokerStars has taken their first sports bet and outlined definitive plans to enter the daily fantasy sports market.

Amaya’s approach to DFS as outlined appears to be a mix of buy and build, with a tight timeline for launch. Baazov stated that “the goal is to be up before the NFL season starts.”